Vida to host public meeting in wake of resignation

Former director left Arizona job after computer allegations

The Vida Charter School board of trustees announced Tuesday morning in an email they will host a 30-minute call-in meeting Tuesday, Feb. 18 at 6 p.m. The public may sit in and listen on speakerphone with the board president, who will be at the school facility in Gettysburg.

The meeting follows disclosure that former school executive director Jaime Castellano, who resigned suddenly in January, left a job at an Arizona school district after the State Board of Education reported he used his work computer to access adult websites.

Castellano allegedly "transmitted electronic communications containing sexually explicit language; accessed or attempted to access adult websites on his district issued laptop; and accessed and/or maintained sexually explicit images on his district issued laptop," while employed as superintendent of Ganado Unified School District in Arizona, according to a public State Board of Education meeting agenda from March 25. Castellano resigned in lieu of facing disciplinary action by the district, the agenda states.

It is unclear if members of the Board of Vida Charter School were aware of the incident when Castellano was hired in July 2013.

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"All education institutions in Pennsylvania, whether geographic school districts such as Gettysburg Area School District or Hanover School District, or charter schools, such as Vida Charter School, are prohibited to discuss personnel issues," according to a statement released by the charter school Monday. "Questions regarding the hiring and resignation of Dr. Castellano fall within limited prohibition, therefore Vida is not able to make further comment on that matter."

Vida operations coordinator Lynda Cockle, who sent the email Friday, was not immediately available for additional comment.

The search for a new executive director is being led by Claremont Consulting, the same company that found Castellano. The $24,000 contract with the consulting firm was approved by Vida's board of directors in January.

This issue could affect the school's re-chartering, which is up for renewal.

Vida students, parents and school officials have attended board meetings at both the Gettysburg Area School District and Hanover Public School District to discuss the chartering issue.

The bilingual school shares Gettysburg Area School District's former Eisenhower school building, 120 E. Broadway, with the Gettysburg Montessori Charter School.

In January, Cockle praised the school, which her children attend.

"I have never have seen a more dedicated group of teachers and administrators," Cockle said. "I hope we can continue what we have."

Vida's Board of Trustees President Donna Perry and secretary Amanda Kittelberger also want to keep the school open and both praised Vida's level of diversity that is not offered by Gettysburg Area School District.

"This school is diversity," Kittelberger said last month. "You can't teach diversity at a school with students who look the same and talk the same."